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Money expert Clark Howard has been a big proponent of credit freezes, even before the massive hack on Equifax. What makes a credit freeze so effective is that it prevents new lines of credit from being opened up without you being aware of it.

Beyond freezing your credit: How to protect your financial life

Identity theft is not limited to your bank account and credit cards. Criminals can open new cable or mobile phone accounts by pretending to be you. All they have to do is access those accounts that hold your personal information.

One entity that watches these accounts is the National Consumer Telecommunications and Utilities Exchange (NCTUE), which is owned by Equifax.

The NCTUE is basically a credit-reporting agency for the telecom companies. If you’re a telecom customer or have a utility bill in your name, then the NCTUE has a “disclosure report” on you. A disclosure report is a record of all your pay TV and utility accounts. This personal information in the report includes your account history as well as unpaid and closed accounts and customer service applications.

After you’ve frozen your credit, here’s how to stop criminals from getting their hands on your other personal information:

How to freeze your telecom, pay TV and utility disclosure report

To request a credit freeze please click here or call us at 1-866-349-5355. You can mail your request to:

NCTUE Security Freeze
P.O. Box 105561
Atlanta, GA 30348

There are some other credit-reporting agencies that have their hands on your personal information. While you can’t submit a credit freeze with all of these organizations, you are entitled to a free copy of your file each year. The more information you have about what these companies know about you, the more empowered you are.

ChexSystems: This agency also acts as a check verification service for financial institutions. Its dominion includes deposit information on consumers as well as checking account applications and histories. To get your free report, go to www.chexsystems.com and click Free FACTA Report. To request a credit freeze on your account, go to Place a Security Freeze.

Craig Johnson is a conscious money-saver who still reads paperback books and listens to vinyl. He likes to write about how technology is making things easier and more affordable — but also sometimes more dangerous — for the modern consumer. You can reach Craig at [email protected]